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Anal gland absyss & Surgery question

My poor Josh woke Sunday and wouldn't come out of his crate...I took him for a walk to get him to potty and he rubbed his bottom and would act startled and stare at his bottom as if bugs were biting him. We made it to the grass where he took care of business, but he continued to want to sit in the grass.

I washed up his bottom to find the swollen and bloody absyss. We took him to the vet where they tried to empty the glands, but at this point his pain was too intense so they did surgery to clear the blockage.

We picked him up with a tube for drainage coming out on two ends just to the right of his 'hole', and lot's of blood, pus and stitches. Luckily he was so drugged out that he slept only to wake to look at me with the burning question 'WHAT IS THAT TUBE ON MY BEHIND, AND WHAT ARE THOSE STITCHES DOING AND WHY IS THERE OOZY YUCKY MESS FLOWING BACK THERE?????'

After a day of nursing his bottom with warm packs and keeping him clean and comfy, we found it was time to take a short walk out front to try and toilet. He finally after 2 days poopped, but after the 1st firm poop, it keep coming out semifirm. Since last night he has oozing kernel's of poop that sneaks out and startles him, makes him scoot, which makes poop smear all over him and all OVER...

Anybody out there have their sweet love's experience this surgery where they clear the blockage, put a drainage tube with stitches and then have an ongoing issue with chunks of poop popping out and scaring their sweet ones?

Josh is now at the vet's and I am waiting for them to tell me what this issue is, but I find the expert's are right here!!!!

Hedy, luckily we haven't encountered this problem (yet). All I can say is you poor things, its not particularly nice for either of you. Hopefully the vet can get to the bottom (sorry!) of this and Josh will be back to normal soon. As you wrote, there is bound to be someone on here who has experience of this and who can give you some words of wisdom.

I havent experienced this but Charlie had to have his bladder drained twice and was in the vets each time for a few days. When he came home he would walk around the house dripping pee everywhere like a leaking tap. The vet said this is normal because his bladder needed to heal. I would say Josh's bowel just needs to heal and will take a while to return to normal. It may take a while but all you can do is keep checking with the vet to see if its all normal and should be happening and give his loads of cuddles.

Its funny because now Charlie gets away with anything since he was so sick because we could have lost him, he is even allowed up on both couches when poor Sam wouldnt dare get on the good couch haha!! Sam however does get a whole 3 seater couch to himself most of the time and he has a good stretch when myself, my big bump (due in 5 weeks), my hubby and charlie are all squashed on the 2 seater haha!!

Can you clarify about the "surgery" - they just lanced the anal gland, they didn't remove it, right? I've had (and known) Cavaliers with abscessed anal glands and also with ruptured anal glands, and I've had vets lance an abscessed gland, but I've never known of drainage tubes to be inserted. Usually when the anal gland ruptures or is lanced, the outcome is the same - the gland empties and heals pretty quickly, and antibiotics are given. Sometimes they pack antibiotic cream or ointment into the gland. I've never known of the incontinence that you describe as a consequence unless the anal glands were actually removed which can leave them incontinent. I presume you mean that he is fecally incontinent in addition to the drainage from the tubes.

anal gland

They just cleared the blockage and left a drainage tube to help the rest drain out, but now there is risk of the poop going into the tube and causing infection. I've heard they can lose their bowel control if the anal glands are removed, but Josh's were not removed.
The vet thinks he is having diarrhea from the antibiotics. I am at a loss to have poor Josh suffer so much due to the anal glands that had never caused problems before.

i wonder if his last groomer did something to cause this blockage as he was groomed a week ago.

I hear Emma on us spoiling a dog when they are sick. We've been hand feeding him and delivering fresh water to him and just giving him so much love during his hospice care. My poor Noelle is neglected and sad and she let Josh know it yesterday as she growled at him to 'suck it up'!

2 kids, 3 pups, working from home and sleep deprivation is all adding up to delirium...but I love my pups (human and k9 alike)....

[QUOTE=Pat;340047]Can you clarify about the "surgery" - they just lanced the anal gland, they didn't remove it, right? I've had (and known) Cavaliers with abscessed anal glands and also with ruptured anal glands, and I've had vets lance an abscessed gland, but I've never known of drainage tubes to be inserted. Usually when the anal gland ruptures or is lanced, the outcome is the same - the gland empties and heals pretty quickly, and antibiotics are given.

Hi Joshua, Our Bobby had both anal glands burst at once in March. One internal,one external and had the same op as Josh. 6 drainage tubes were put it and some stitches. We were told to bathe the area often in warm salty water to keep drainage tubes clear. 6 days later all tubes & stitches were removed and (fingers firmly crossed here) he's had no more bother with them.

It took 2 days before he realised it was 'safe' to go for a poo, and we fed him chicken/rice to ensure he didnt get constipated etc. Im no expert, but would guess something in the antibiotics is giving him tummy trouble?

Diddy

Thanks Diddy
It helped to know that another had the drainage tubes put in and their baby was also scared to poo.

Josh is being cared for by the vet now as they were worried that the feces would get into the drain and cause another absyss and/or a terrible infection. The vet has been cleaning out the tube and making sure it is clean and hopefully the drainage tube will come out today.

As you suggested, the vet thinks that the antibiotic is causing the diarrhea/loose stool and is (as of last night) taking Josh off of antibiotics, as the feces in the tubes is much worse then not giving antibiotics.

Josh also rubbed his bottom so much that although the tubes stayed in, the stitches tore open and he has opened his incision ....yuck...

Josh has always been so healthy and then overnight he became this very sick dog...I hope to get him today and bring him home to be comfortable in his own bed, so that we can nurse him back to his loving and 'painfree' self...